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What is Genuine Security?

Posted October 26th, 2008 by Jerry Sherwood in Inquiry into Security

 

Everyone is seeking security and yet everyone remains insecure. Why? Just when you think everything is going along fine, someone comes along and upsets your apple cart. As our politicians are fond of telling us right now, “times are tough.” There’s uncertainty in the economy, the family, the nation, the world. It may appear that all is falling apart before our very eyes. But, is this really true? Or is it an illusion; a product of mass hysteria? Could it be that there are those who take advantage of our complex nature and now manipulate us into seeing the world as it profits them for us to see it? What is the truth?
 
In our current state we cannot know. Why? We are caught up in veils of illusion and looking through these veils makes it impossible to see the truth. Even when one veil is seen and torn down we still are not free. Rending one veil only reveals another. But that may not be immediately apparent. Because, looking through any particular veil hides it from view. The question is then, what’s the nature and source of our veils of illusion and can they be eliminated or otherwise nullified? Because until that is the case all attempts to know the “truth” of what is going on in this world will be futile and any sense of security will be fleeting.
 
The veils we see and experience the world through are spun out of our thoughts and our feelings. They are virtually infinite in variety and they automatically arise to color our view. We are almost never even aware that they have imposed themselves over our “eyes”. It is as if we are wearing contact lenses that are continually changing their tint. And, since we are not aware of the fact we are wearing them we are equally oblivious to the illusory effects that they have on our vision.
 
How then are we to discover the truth? We must start where we are. Where is that? We are caught in the veils of illusion! To deny or struggle against this fact only entangles us more in this web of deceit. This is fairly obvious when it comes to denial. To deny the fact of our delusional state we must don blinders that hide it from view. But, why would our struggle against our illusions be in vain?
 
To understand this we must return to the nature and source of the veils. As noted, they are “spun out of our thoughts and our feelings … automatically” It is the reflexive reaction of our instincts that give rise to the feelings that fuel the stream of thoughts that follow. The impulse to struggle against the veils is an instinctive reaction. We are afraid of being deceived by our own thoughts and feelings. This gives rise to the “idea” that “I” must struggle against “my” thoughts and feelings. What we have here is an uncontrolled and automatic reactive thought that posits its “self” as capable of controlling other thoughts which have hitherto not been controlled. Now, this is truly delusional.
 
Is there then no answer? There is. The answer to our dilemma is genuine acceptance. I am not speaking here of an apathetic resignation to our human condition. Nor is this a request that you blindly adopt the ideas I propose.
Through genuine acceptance you step onto the threshold of the open doorway to truth, your innate and natural curiosity. So, to start where you are is to genuinely accept that you “may” not know the truth. Once you have allowed for this possibility you are free to explore and discover for your self whether or not what I propose has validity.
 
If you choose to proceed, then look for your self and see whether or not there are instances in the past where your own thoughts and feelings have deceived you. If there is even one instance that you can recall, there is sufficient reason to investigate further. If you do not see how your thoughts and feelings have deceived you in the past then, to you, this is the ranting of a madman and you can confidently return to your own insecure sense of security.
 
For you who wish to investigate further I ask that you become aware of your inner world. Sit quietly so that you can pay attention to what is actually occurring in the mind. It is easiest to start with the constant stream of thought because that is the “loudest” event. Do not sit down to “think”. Rather, sit with an open curiosity to see how thoughts arise. As you do this you will eventually become aware of your feelings. It may be that the first feeling you sense is just being uncomfortable with doing this exercise. Whatever feelings come up just remain open and curious. Watch how feelings come and go and observe the thoughts that come with them. See how the various moods and thoughts affect your present experience.
 
The final leg on this journey is to openly inquire into the truth of the thoughts and feelings you experience. How many of them are really relevant to what is happening right now? Those that appear to be, look at even closer. Are they accurate reflections of what is actually occurring? Or, are they feelings and thoughts related to your expectations of what “should” be happening now? Are they judgments that are based on unexamined assumptions? What happens when they pass? What happens if you do not believe them? How does that affect immediate experience? Can you see how feelings and thoughts color your experience? Can you see how they seemingly have a life of their own? Can you see how they are often rooted in the past or projecting into the future and only loosely related to the present? Are they really presenting the truth of the moment?
 
By now you will know whether or not you see value in further exploration. If you do, then you are primed for the next adventure, Exploring Space.

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Thank you Jerry

Posted October 26th, 2008 by steven martini

I found this inquiry/attention session a wonderful anchor to ground into the now on this beautiful sunday morning of wildly exciting caffeinated thoughts.

I do this type of thing as often as I can a) remember b) care and c) commit. The problems for me arise when I'm so far out into the spiral offshoots of creative-delusional 'what ifs?' that even the 'Now' or the concept of 'now' seems like just another way for me to cope with the impending ultimate 'what if I die and nothing matters'. This does not let me ever really relax into the Now, but only crash there as a last minute harrowing escape from the projections of the 'self' which does not recognize it's lowercase smallness.

I am able to see through all this right now and stay anchored in the Big Mind you induced so wonderfully with your post but when I'm in the shower alone banging my head against the water and there is no help from the calvary of the Lower Left-Lower Right brigade, my Upper Left spins out into the unhealthy green annoyed cynic and wishes it could just dream the old childhood dreams of the future with the vigor and fervor I used to leap forward with simply because the girls jumping rope outside gave me an inspiring smile to tap dance this hop skotch through flatland-

Red Pill/Blue Pill 1-2-3